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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24060796">Mr. Brühl | Daniel Brühl</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkGuardian15/pseuds/DarkGuardian15'>DarkGuardian15</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Unspecified Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Romance, Teacher-Student Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:41:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24060796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkGuardian15/pseuds/DarkGuardian15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hailey Teagarden enters her third year of college and is looking forward to her new classes. She gets to reconnect with old friends and she meets her favorite writer in a way she never expected or imagined. Like always, she focuses on her studies but someone starts to catch her attention more than the subjects she is learning.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hailey's POV:</p><p>I walked into my third class of the day and took a seat at one of the desks. As always, I was the first one there. A few moments passed before others started walking into the room. When I spotted my best friend Brian I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I stood up as he quickly came over to where I was sitting. We wrapped our arms around each other in a tight embrace. It felt like forever since he and I had seen each other. "Hey, it's good to see you again. How have you been?" He asked with a huge smile on his face. "I've been good. How about you?" I replied as we sat down; he took a desk right next to mine. "I've been alright. I'm so not ready for all of the homework we're going to have this semester." He said with a small laugh. "I know, me neither." I said. I already had Biology homework, but I didn't want to complain. It's only the first day after all. A few minutes before it was time for class to start, a tall man with a graying beard and long matching hair entered the room.</p><p>He was carrying a briefcase and it was clear that he was the teacher. Everyone got quiet and waited for him to speak. Maybe it was the way he held himself or the fact that he was dressed head to toe in a black suit. Perhaps it was both. There was just something about him that breathed a different era and time, and it wasn't just because he was obviously an older man. "Good morning students, my name is Mr. Carr and if you aren't here for American History I'm afraid you're in the wrong place." He said with a small smile as his dark eyes scanned the room with a sort of sparkle in them. A couple of people got up and left the room, which wasn't uncommon. Usually there are some last minute classroom changed that tend to confuse almost everyone. "Right, now let's take roll call shall we?" He said as he opened his briefcase and took out a couple of papers. As he called out everyone's name he jotted down where they were sitting on a seating chart. I guess that was for his benefit, so he could remember people's names.</p><p>Once he was finished he started passing out the usual first day papers that come with every new semester. As he did so, he talked about the various different topics we were going to cover. To be honest I was actually kinda excited because I'm a sucker for history. "Now, I must confess that I am a historian so all essays must be properly sited. But don't worry about that, if you have any questions I'll be willing to help in any way I can." He said. I smiled a little at that. He did seem like an easy going guy that didn't put up with any kind of bull shit, and I quite admired that. Once he finished talking he have us a homework assignment but it wasn't really hard; all we had to do was read the first two chapters in our textbooks. But a couple of people groaned in annoyance. Brian and I put the packed up our things once he dismissed us and I suddenly realized that I had seen Mr. Carr before. As I was putting my stuff in my backpack it suddenly hit me. I retrieved a pen and the copy of a book that I had read more times than I'd like to admit.</p><p>"Hailey, what are you doing? Let's go get some lunch, I'm starving." Brian said as he walked towards the door with the other students. "You go on ahead, I'll be there in a minute." I replied. He left and I sort of waited until everyone had gone before I approached the teacher's desk. "Um... excuse me, Mr. Carr sir, I... can I just say that I really love your writing." I said, which caught his attention. He smiled before he spoke. "I should have guessed someone would recognise me. So... are you a reader of my historical works or my fictional ones?" He asked, and he seemed genuinely intrigued. "You're fictional ones... specifically your stories about Dr. Laszlo Kreizler." I replied with a smile that hurt my cheeks. "Well, I may or may not be working on a third installment of that series." He said and his eyes sparkled mischievously. I asked for his autograph, and he kindly obliged. I wished him a good day before I left the classroom and joined up with Brian in the cafeteria.</p><p>I didn't mention that Mr. Carr is an author, mostly because I didn't think he'd want me to spread the word. Brian and I talked about what he had done over the summer since neither of us take summer semesters. He went to visit his family in Jamaica and expressed that he'd love it if I could go with him sometime. To be honest I was excited that he even wanted me to go with him, especially since traveling is one of my dreams. My vacation wasn't as eventful or exciting, but it was relaxing. I just stayed home and sold a few of my paintings. After we discussed that we mentioned all of the classes we were taking this semester. "You're taking a literature class? I wonder if you got the new professor." He said before taking a bite of his food. "I don't know, but on my schedule it says Mr. Brühl." I replied before taking a drink of water. "Yep, you have the new professor. Vanessa said he'd pretty cool." He said with a small smile. I knew the two of them had been dating for a while, and I hoped that they'd end up becoming boyfriend and girlfriend someday. But if they decided to just be friends I'd still be happy for them.</p><p>After we finished eating we went into the library where we got to doing our American History homework. I didn't have another class until one thirty, which was my art class. So I figured I'd just look out of the window at the beautiful weather outside. I wanted to go and sit in the grass, but I knew I'd probably lose track of time. I looked at my online schedule and made sure that the classroom numbers hadn't changed. As I sat there I overheard a couple of popular types giggling as they eyed up jocks that were passing by. I rolled my eyes before I turned my attention back outside. When Brain had finished his homework we talked for a while and he ended up walking with me to my art class. "I'll see you later." He said once I reached my destination. "See ya." I replied with a small smile. It seemed like the class just flew by, but maybe that's because we didn't do much. Miss Marlowe just passed around papers and talked about what we were going to learn this semester.</p><p>Before I knew it I was walking towards my last class of the day, which was literature. In a way I was kind of excited to meet the new professor, but I also felt nervous. When I reached the classroom there was a note taped to the wooden door. It said that all literature students should meet up at the large maple tree in the campus gardens. A smile spread across my face after reading that. 'Looks like you'll get to enjoy the lovely weather after all.' I thought as I headed outside through a nearby door. I breathed in the sweet smell of freshly mowed grass; a scent that has always had a calming effect over me. As I walked towards the campus gardens I had a good feeling about Mr. Brühl. Mostly because he wanted to incorporate nature with literature on our first day of class. The gardens were probably the most beautiful thing on campus. Huge well manicured flower bushes lined every cobblestone path, and there were various benches throughout the entire garden for people sit. My destination was in the center of the garden. Several benches surrounded the large tree, so it really was a logical place for a class to meet up, especially since literature classes were usual always small. At least they were here after most students had taken one class, which was a required credit for every career pathway.</p><p>I sat down at my favorite bench and took in my surroundings. The sky was a bright blue and fluffy white clouds floated high above in various clusters. It was September, so the sun was still warm but it wasn't overbearing. Bees buzzed and danced around some nearby flowers along with a couple of butterflies. "Beautiful out isn't it?" A male voice caught my attention. When I looked towards the voice I spotted a man wearing burgundy colored pants and a matching jacket. The button shirt he had on was white and the first couple of buttons were undone. A beard complemented his handsomely features as well. He looked at me with a small, yet charming smile as he came closer. "Yes, it is." I replied with a small smile of my own. That's when I noticed he had the biggest brown eyes I've ever seen. "I assume you're here for the literature class?" He said in a questioning tone. "Yes, I am." I replied shyly. A moment of silence passed before he asked me what my name was.</p><p>"Hailey Teagarden." I said, and he checked a sheet of paper he had with him. "Ah, there you are. I'll go ahead and mark you present since you're already here." He said with another smile. A few minutes passed and a couple of students arrived. Each one of them took seats at the various benches that surrounded the maple tree. Three girls who were sitting together were giggling and eyeing Mr. Brühl like he was a piece of cake. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore them. I mean... the new professor is handsome but he's also a human being. I've always hated people treating others differently just because they're attractive and vice versa. Eventually class had started and he took roll call. The usual first day motions went into effect as he passed out sheets of paper for us to look over. "I know there's an oral presentation listed on there, but don't worry; none of you will have to do anything like that unless you want extra credit. I know how much public speaking can terrify most people." He said, and half of us breathed sighs of relief.</p><p>'Thank god for that.' I thought as I had flashes backs of my speech class last year. It didn't help me with my fear of public speaking like a bunch of people said it would, it just made it worse. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind as Mr. Brühl mentioned a few books we would be reading during the course of the class. I admit that I was excited we were going to be reading Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, and a bunch more. When he was finished discussing everything he dismissed us. I put my things in my backpack and decided to walk around the gardens for a while. I didn't have any other homework, so I didn't see why I shouldn't have some peace and quiet. I walked over to where the fountains were. After sitting down I pulled out The Alienist which was the book I asked Mr. Carr to sign for me. Even though I've read it multiple time it still keeps my interest through the entire story. I blame that on Caleb Carr's wonderful writing and character development. It really was a great start to a new year. I just hoped I didn't start hating any of my teachers before the semester ended.<br/>++++++++++++++++<br/>A/N: Thanks for reading!! I really hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Please let me know what you think.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Favorite Student</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hailey's POV:</p><p>Two weeks passed, and I was swamped with homework. Most of it was reading chapters in text books and answering questions about those chapters. But I did catch a break when it came to my art classes. They weren't any less demanding, it just felt nice to do something creative instead of logical. Plus all of my teachers were very helpful and gave us a decent amount of time to get things finished. "How is your graphic design class going?" Brian asked me curiously. He and I were in the library doing homework together. "Alright I guess. The project we're doing now is pretty easy but I think that'll change as the semester goes on." I replied. I asked him about his classes as well. I was wondering how he was going to juggle his theater responsibilities along with sports. "I might have to drop something. I don't think I can do basketball and be part of the plays I wanna be in at the same time." He said, looking a little disappointed.</p><p>"Well, which one do you love the most?" I asked. "That's just it... I love them both." He replied with a deep sigh. I truly felt sorry for him, but I figured he'd probably chose theater over basketball. Especially since the fall is when all of the best plays are being shown. I finished up my Biology questions and then moved onto the American History ones. Brian and I worked together on those since we had the class together. Then he helped me with my math homework. I've always hated math, but I thankfully had a good teacher this semester. 'Maybe I won't fail this time.' I hoped. Once I got all of the mundane stuff finished it was time for us to go to our next classes. We went to our stage craft class together. It wasn't really theater based, but it was in that department because it was all about stage/set design. Oddly enough Mr. Brühl was teaching that class as well. It was aware of the amount of popular types that had signed up for the course, and it annoyed me.</p><p>I knew they were just joining because they think Mr. Brühl is attractive. I mean... they aren't wrong, but I think they forget that they won't get a free ride in any class even if it is an artsy one. And it's even tougher since it's an advanced class; our job is to make the sets for the upcoming plays this semester. I pressed my thoughts aside as Brian and I took seats in the red velvet chairs. Of course they weren't real velvet, I don't think this university could afford that. "I see my two favorite students are hear early as usual." Mr. Brühl said with a cute smile, which made me smile in return. "You're just saying that because we haven't been flirting with you." Brian replied, making him laugh slightly. "Well... yeah, but you're also very good at designing sets." The professor replied seriously. It made me feel a little uncomfortable being complemented by him. To be honest complements have always made me feel awkward. We thanked him before the other students started filling the room.</p><p>A couple of girls started flirting with Mr. Brühl as soon as they saw him, and I rolled my eyes. I mean, none of them really had any true feelings for them. Hell I'm sure all they wanted was to fuck him. "They're literally so annoying." Brian said in a hushed tone and I agreed with him. "Today we will be doing another set design. You'll draw the set in your sketchbooks like the others we've done, but afterwards you will be making a mini model of the set you've drawn." The professor said after he took roll call and everyone got quiet. I was honestly very excited to build a little model of the sets we were designing. I just hoped it would come out looking good. He told us that we had to make a set inspired by Sweeney Todd, which was perfect in my mind! Especially since I absolutely love the subject matter, even if it is dark. After he was sure everyone understood the guidelines of the project we got started. I ended up listening to the Sweeney Todd soundtrack to sort of inspire me. Luckily Mr. Brühl didn't mind if we listened to music as we did our work as long as it wasn't loud enough to distract the others.</p><p>I sketched a little outline of the stage and whatnot before I started drawing some other detailed stuff. 'I wonder what we will be using to make the mini models.' I thought inside of my head as I kept drawing. A few minutes passed before I started feeling like someone was watching me. When I looked up I noticed that Mr. Brühl was standing nearby looking at my sketchbook. "You know the play well, do you?" He asked in a hushed tone. The only reason I could hear him is because I only had one headphone in my ear. "I'm actually a big fan of Tim Burton's movie version." I replied with a small shy smile. Mr. Brühl acted like he was going to say something, but a girl with long black hair interrupted him. She asked for help even though it was clear that she didn't need any help. She just didn't like the fact that his attention was somewhere else besides on her. "Sure, what did you need help with?" He replied as he followed her to her seat. I went back to drawing and put my focus on the music I was listening to.</p><p>Someone touched my shoulder, taking my attention off of my work. I looked up to see Brian packing his stuff up, which caused me to look around the classroom. Everyone was leaving so I assumed that class was over. After I shut my music off I put my things into my backpack. "Thank goodness I have this class with you or you'd probably end up sitting her all day." Brian said with a smile. I just laughed because it was true. Any time I get into a creative flare I get a little carried away. We were ready to leave when our teacher walked up to us with a smile on his handsome face. He had his hands in his pants pockets, which were navy blue and matched his jacket. "You guys are still here? Even the... others  have left." He said, and I knew who he was referring to. "I blame Hailey. Any time she really gets into a project it's hard to tear her away from it. She's that way with anything creative." Brian said with a big smile. "That's rare. Most university students are concerned with parties and everything else but their studies." He replied as he ran a hand through his brown hair, which was in a side part.</p><p>"I know. You have no idea how many people fail their classes just because they'd rather party and get drunk or high." Brian said and Mr. Brühl nodded. All of that stuff never appealed to me but maybe that's because I'm a little antisocial. But I've always believed that you should do your homework and stuff before having fun. I guess I have my parents to think for that mentality. "I better let the two of you go before you're late for your next classes." He said. We said our goodbyes and I wished him a good day. As we talked I noticed that he had an accent but I wasn't quite sure what kind of accent. I honestly thought it was pretty cute. Brian and I went our separate ways when he went to his math class. My graphic design class didn't start for half an hour, so I went to the library to do more homework. I had an essay to do for my creative writing class that I had earlier that day, and I really wanted to get it out of the way. So I sat down at one of the computers and logged into my account provided by the university. Then I plugged in my flash drive, which is what I save all of my online homework and projects on.</p><p>It's the only way to keep your stuff safe since the computers delete everything saved to them over night. It would have been easier if I owned a laptop, but I honestly prefer desktop computers; call me old fashioned if you want. I earned my head as I listened to some music. This time I avoided listening to any soundtracks even though I do love film scores and whatnot. By the time I needed to go to my next class I had finished my essay. I honestly felt proud of myself for being able to manage all of my homework so far. Deep down I hoped it wouldn't get hectic, but I knew it would especially when midterms rolled around. I tried not to think about that though. The rest of my day went by quickly since all I had was graphic design to do. It's a pretty chill class even though the program we use annoyed me sometimes when I can't get something to work. Thankfully I had a good teacher to help me out. Since I was finished for the day and the weather was nice, I decided to go outside to take a walk around campus. A few people were sitting underneath trees with their friends as they played guitar and sang songs.</p><p>That's when I spotted Vanessa hanging out with some of her theater friends. When she spotted me a huge smile spread across her face and she came running towards me. "Oh my god! I'm so happy I ran into you, it's been too long." She said as we hugged each other. It really had been a long time. Last year she did a study abroad program for a semester and we didn't even get to see each other. But I think Brian missed her the most if I'm completely honest. We talked about random stuff that had happened in our lives since the last time we has a conversation. Then we discussed the classes we were taking this year. "Oh my gosh, Mr. Brühl is amazing! Some of the others in my class are drooling over him, but his attractiveness isn't why I like him." She said. Vanessa explained to me that she had met him while she was in Germany for her study abroad program. Apparently he's really funny and has a great personality. I hadn't seen that side of him yet, but I really hoped I got to soon. I already think he's really cool since he teaches his classes in the campus gardens rather than in a classroom.</p><p>But I knew that if it was raining we'd probably end up inside eventually. 'Maybe that was the accent I was hearing in his voice.' I thought. The two of us talked a little longer before she had to go to a class. After I said my goodbyes I continued on my way to the campus gardens. The nice weather made it seem like it was still summer, but the coldness of September would soon settle in. Something I was looking forward to even though I had been enjoying these warm days. Especially when I'd go to the gardens like I was doing now. When I reached one of my favorite spots I sat down on one of the many benches and took in my surroundings. Most of the late summer flowers were still in full bloom, which made the garden look ten times as beautiful. I reached into my backpack and grabbed The Alienist to read. There wasn't any point in reading further in the book I had to read for my literature class, even it was interesting. I just didn't wanna get too ahead of the others; if I did that then I'd find the class pretty boring.</p><p>"Is it alright if I join you?" A familiar male voice brought me back to reality. When I looked up I was surprised to see Mr. Brühl standing there. The way the sunlight shined on his big brown eyes made them look like two pools of golden honey. 'He really is handsome.' I thought, feeling a little embarrassed to be thinking such things. "Sure." I replied with a small smile. "Thanks. I'm... kinda hiding from a couple of my literature students at the moment." He said with an ashamed sort of half smile on his face. "Hey, if they're anything like the popular girls in my classes with you then I don't blame you." I said. I honestly felt bad for him. I mean... how was he going to give each of his students the help or attention they needed? Especially when those girls intended to keep him away from everyone else? I know I'd be stressed out not to mention aggravated. He laughed lightly as he ran a hand through his hair. A few moments of comfortable silence passed between us before he broke it.</p><p>"What are you reading?" He asked me curiously as he studied the book I was holding. "The Alienist. My American History teacher is actually the author oddly enough." I said with a small laugh. I explained that I was fan of Caleb Carr's writing before I met him, just so Mr. Brühl didn't think Mr. Carr was making his students read his books. We talked about books and that seemed to relax him. He stopped looking around nervously as if one of those flirty girls would pop out of the bushes. "So you're an art major? What made you want to take stage craft classes?" He asked with slightly furrowed brows. "Well, two years ago it was a requirement for me to take at least one theater based class. But I hate public speaking, so I chose stage craft instead. I ended up liking the class and the rest is history so to speak." I said with a small smile. He said that he didn't think he had anything to worry about when it came to Brian and I building the sets. But he was a little nervous about a couple other students. I knew exactly to who he was referring to.</p><p>We talked for a little longer before he allowed me to get back to reading. Mostly because he had brought a book of his own to read. I read several chapters before I figured I should leave. It was getting a little late and I had to pick up some groceries before I went home. I marked my place and closed my book before putting it away. "I hope the rest of the day treats you well, professor." I said kindly as I stood up. When he looked up at me he seemed a little disappointed and I kinda hoped I could have stayed longer. "Oh, thanks. Same to you." He replied and managed a smile. I smiled back and said I'd see him in literature class tomorrow. As I walked towards the parking lot I couldn't help but think about how beautiful his eyes looked in the sunlight.</p><p>+++++++++++++++++<br/>A/N: Thanks for reading!!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Standing Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hailey's POV:</p><p>Our literature class met up in the campus gardens like we've been doing since the semester started. Mr. Brühl was doing some grading while the rest of us read from our books. "Um, professor... could you possibly read out loud? Maybe then I could understand this better." A blond haired girl said. Ever since she laid eyes on him she has been flirting with him every chance she could get. It would have been nice to just follow along in the book as he read, but he was  busy. "I'd love to read to you all, but I have a lot of work to do." He replied with slightly furrowed brows. She pleaded with him, which annoyed me. "Oh my god, just stop. Can't you see that he has work to do? How would you feel if someone wanted you to do something when you have piles of homework to do?" I said. Watching those 'popular girls' badger him so much for so long just got to me I guess. I felt shy and nervous after realizing what I had said.</p><p>Her and her friends went off on me just because I had spoken up for Mr. Brühl. What she said about me was really mean, but I tried to not let it bother me, but it did. "Alright! That's enough!!" Mr. Brühl said before he kicked the group of girls out of the class. "And don't bother coming back! I'll have a word with the headmistress about getting you removed from all of my classes permanently!" He finished loudly as they left. A couple of students were mumbling amongst themselves about what had just happened. Other than that there was an awkward silence that filled the atmosphere. He took a few deep breaths before he dismissed the rest of us in a calmer tone. Everyone started to pack up and I tried to do so as quickly as possible. All I wanted to do was go home and be alone. But the zipper on my backpack got stuck, making me the last one there. "Here, let me help." Mr. Brühl said softly as he walked over to me. He zipped my backpack closed with ease, which made me feel like an idiot. "Thank you." I replied in a small voice.</p><p>"You don't have to thank me, it's the least I can do for you. Thank you for speaking up to those girls." He said with a small awkward laugh. "I'm sorry you had to see me get mad. It's just... what they said about you made me angry." He said after a few seconds of silence passed before between us. "It's okay. You probably had pinned up frustration from work and everything else." I replied, and he nodded. Another minute of silence passed before he said spoke up again. "They're wrong by the way. I probably shouldn't be saying this about a student, but... you're very cute... and beautiful." He said as he ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed the back of his neck. I thought I saw a faint blush on his handsome face, but I figured it was just my imagination. I felt my face burn with embarrassment as my insides warmed from his sweet comments. "I.... thanks..." I replied, feeling very awkward. No one had ever called me cute or beautiful before and I wasn't quite sure what to think or do. We said our goodbyes but after just a few moments he jogged up beside of me.</p><p>He fixed his hair again, which seemed like on of his nervous ticks. But a nervous tick that I found adorable. "So... are you alright? I mean... emotionally?" He said with concern in his big brown eyes. The fact that he was concerned about my wellbeing made my insides warm again. "Yeah, I'm okay." I replied with a small smile. All of a sudden I didn't want to go home anymore; I wanted to stay with Mr. Brühl and talk to him. I wanted to get to know him more. "My... my friend Vanessa says she had you as a professor when she studied abroad in Germany." I said to try and started a conversation with him. Students were hanging out like the campus was some kind of local park, which it kind of was in a way. I think that's part of the reason why so many people chose to come here for their education. "Vanessa Kade?" He asked. "Yeah." I replied. "She's a wonderful student. I'm not at all surprised that the two of you are friends." He replied with a small smile.</p><p>I smiled too as we entered the building. I didn't realize I was more or less following him until we reached his office. "You have a lot of work to do. I should be going anyway." I said with a small awkward laugh. He seemed a little disappointed that I had to go, but we said out goodbyes for a second time. On my way home I couldn't help but smile as I thought of Mr. Brühl. But then I realized that those girls he kicked out of his classes would probably be very angry with me. Who knows what they'll do to me, because I'm the reason I got them banned from being around Mr. Brühl every day. 'God, why did you have to speak up?' I thought inside of my head. The next day I met up with Brian in the library where we did our homework from earlier classes. "I decided to give up sports for theater." He said. "I'm glad you were able to make a decision. I know it would drive me nuts to have to pick between two things I love." I replied. Vanessa came up to us and wrapped her arms around Brian who hugged her back. They kissed and I smiled at how cute they were together.</p><p>"Guess who asked about you today?" Vanessa said to me as she joined us at our study table. "Who?" I replied, not really feeling like guessing. "Mr. Brühl," She said with a smile. My eyebrows went up in surprise. "He asked me if you were doing alright. From what he said, you told off a group of girls and they said a bunch of mean things to you." She said with a hint of concern and pride in her eyes. "Holy shit, you told them off?" Brian asked, looking impressed. "Yeah." I replied shyly. They asked me for details as we did our homework. When I was finished with my assignments I sat back and looked around the room for a bit. Almost every computer was taken. A couple of students were rubbing their temples in frustration as they stared at their screens and textbooks. We talked for a while before we had to go to our classes. Vanessa had to go to her math class while Brian and I went to stage craft.</p><p>When we walked into the theater the stage lights were lit, because we were starting work on sets for the upcoming play. At the end of October Sweeney Todd would be the show that our theater department would be putting on. Oddly enough our earlier project was to see which stage set up we'd be making, and Brian's won. "When are they doing auditions?" I asked Brian as he and I walked onto the stage. "Next week. I'm hoping to get Judge Turpin or Sweeney Todd himself." He replied with a smile. "I hope you get the role you want the most. Especially since you won't be able to play both of those parts." I said with a smile of my own. "I know, me too." He said as we got started on painting. The sound system was suddenly turned on and music started playing. That meant that Mr. Brühl had arrived.</p><p>"There are my two favorite students." He said once he reached the stage. Brian and I couldn't help the smiles that had spread across our faces. "It's safe to say that you're our favorite professor." Brian said, and I agreed. Even though I do like some of my other professors as well. The other students came in and they got to work as well. Our teacher was keeping a close eye on a few of the students who were only there to get an easy grade. After a while we ended up running out of paint, so I went to the back room to get more. Brian stayed where he was to make sure no one ruined our work. I looked at the shelves of paint and let our a deep sigh when I realized that the colors I needed was up where I couldn't reach them. "Hey, I was hoping I could talk to you alone." Mr. Brühl's voice caught me a little off guard. When I turned to look at him he had a sweet smile on his handsome face. "You were?" I asked with slightly furrowed brows.</p><p>"Yeah, I... I was wondering of you were okay. I mean... what those girls said to you were really horrible." He said with a soft sympathetic look in his big brown eyes. I softened under his gaze, which made me feel a little awkward. I told him I was okay, which seemed to make him breath a sigh of relief. "Did you run out of paint?" He asked, realizing I came to the back room for a purpose. "Yeah, and I can't reach the shelf." I replied with a small laugh. "Let me help." He said with a smile. I stood back as he reached up and grabbed the black, red, and white paints. I was glad he grabbed a few bottles of each color as he did so. "Thanks." I said as he handed half of them to me. We walked out onto the stage once more. The two of us kinda got backed into a corner because a couple of students were haphazardly moving stage stuff around. My heart skipped a little from how close Mr. Brühl and I were. I could feel his warm chest against my back. I could smell his light, yet very intoxicating cologne as well.</p><p>All I wanted was to turn around and hug him so I could bury my face in his chest. That particular thought gave me butterflies, and I couldn't help but think that I was an idiot. If I did that it would be so wrong. And with all of the the others being there they'd start rumors about Mr. Brühl and I. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind as he followed me over to where Brian was waiting on me. "I was starting to think you might have gotten lost." Brian joked as Mr. Brühl handed him the other paint bottles. "Sorry for keeping her. I just wanted to make sure she was okay." Mr. Brühl said, looking a little sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah. Because she told some people off in the literature class she has with you?" Brain said in a somewhat questioning tone. "I take it Vanessa told you both of my concerns." Mr. Brühl said, and swear I saw his face turn a little pink. 'He's so cute.' I thought as I looked at him.</p><p>"Yeah, of course. She's our friend and my girlfriend." Brian replied with a smile. It made me so happy to see him happy. I knew he loved Vanessa for a long time and knowing that she loves him back is just to beautiful. "Oh... I... forgive me but I thought you two were kinda... dating." Mr. Brühl said, his face turning pinker with embarrassment. Brian and I looked at each other before we both started laughing. It took us a little while to get control over ourselves. I felt bad, because of how embarrassing the situation must have been for our sweet professor. "You see... Hailey and I see each other as brother and sister. Some think it's weird because our skin color isn't the same, but that's just because they're close minded." Brian said. "I'm sorry, I..." Mr. Brühl trailed off, but I stepped in to make sure he didn't feel awkward for long. "It's okay, Mr. Brühl. There wasn't any way of you knowing anyway." I said with a smile, which he returned.</p><p>A loud crash caught his attention, and sent him running towards the other side of the stage. I wasn't sure what had happened; I just wished that no one got hurt and none of the stage sets got damaged. Brian and I went back to painting, but I soon noticed that he was looking at me in a peculiar sort of way. "What?" I asked him curiously as we finished up our basic paint job. "You're begging to like him aren't you?" He asked as a small grin started to spread across his face. "Who?" I replied, completely oblivious to what he was referring to. "Mr. Brühl." He said in a hushed tone. "Brain, if you think that's why I stood up for him-" I started, but he cut me off. "No, I don't mean it like that. I'm talking about the way you were looking at him. Your eyes were sparkling when he started blushing. I... I kinda think he likes you too." He said. As I looked in his light brown eyes I seen that he was being completely honest with me. I wasn't quite sure what to say, especially since I wasn't even sure if he was right. 'Do I like Mr. Brühl? Like... more than just a student teacher kind of way?' I wondered.</p><p>"I just think he's really cool. Yes, maybe I think he's handsome and cute sometimes but I don't have feelings for him if that's what you mean." I said with narrowed eyes. "Okay, okay. Fine. It was just a thought." He said, laughing everything off. After a few more minutes we started cleaning everything up and putting stuff away. It was almost time for the class to end anyway. 'Even if I did have feelings for Mr. Brühl, which I don't, he'd never feel the same way about me. Besides, he's my teacher.' I thought as I put the paint where Brian and I could get it easier next time we came to class. Mr. Brühl dismissed us and we went down to our seats to retrieve our backpacks. I couldn't get what Brian said our of my head though for the rest of the day.</p><p>++++++++++++++++++++<br/>A/N: Thanks for reading!! Sorry for the long wait.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Decoration Committee</h2></a>
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    <p>Hailey's POV:</p><p>"Are you going to the Halloween dance?" Vanessa asked me curiously as she sat with us in a little study room we signed out. "I don't know. It depends on how much homework I have, besides you both know I'm not a big fan of dances." I replied as I finished up my math homework. "Yeah, but you love Halloween. It'll be fun for us to just hangout and forget about our classes for a bit." Brian said, and he did have a point. All of us have been busy lately. "I'll think about it." I said after a few moments of comfortable silence. Once we finished our homework I walked over to the theater, because they had practice; both of them managed to land parts in the Sweeney Todd play, which made me very happy for them. Today is Friday so there weren't many people milling around the campus. There are barely and classes that take place during Friday's. I'm one of the lucky ones who don't have any Friday classes.</p><p>My friends and I just figured it would be a good idea to do some studying together today. It was fun even if we were doing homework, especially since we normally don't get to see each other much. As we approached the theater doors Mr. Brühl came out with a couple of boxes, both of which were full of what looked like Halloween decorations. "Hey, Mr. Brühl! What's up?" Brian asked him with a smile on his face. Vanessa was smiling too, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. I had officially accepted the fact that I had a crush on the professor in front of us a week ago. So the situation was kind of awkward. Admitting my feelings for the handsome man just made me nervous during his classes, and I hoped he never would notice that. "Hey. How are you there doing?" Mr. Brühl replied with a smile of his own. "We're good." Vanessa said and I agreed, so did Brian. My friends explained that they were going to practice their scenes for the play they were currently doing. It premieres in a week, so I had a feeling r he theater teacher wanted to make sure everyone knew their lines.</p><p>"I better not keep you two long then." He said. My friends entered the theater and I just kinda stood there awkwardly. "If you don't have to do anything, I... I wouldn't mind having some help with these decorations." Mr. Brühl said, breaking the silence that had passed between us. "Sure, I'd love to help." I replied with a shy smile. I grabbed one of the boxes he had and followed him to the dance hall where they had all of the school dances and whatnot. Everything was barren and dark in that room, especially since the college doesn't use that large room for much until the meetings and banquets start later in the year. When he switched on the lights my eyes hurt for a few seconds until they adjusted to the light. "Okay, so... I really don't have a plan for decoration. Mostly because they sprung this on me last minute." He said with slightly furrowed brows. "Don't worry, I'll try to help you as much as I can." I said with a small laugh that made him smile.</p><p>We looked through the boxes of decorations we had in front of us and made up a little plan. We pinned some wall decorations up first before we did anything else. "I wonder if we have any costumes to put on these plastic skeletons." I said in a questioning tone. "There might be some extra costumes in the theater department. I'll go see if the theater teacher will be willing to let us borrow them." He said. I stayed behind and I finished up some minor decorating. The place started looking pretty good, but there seemed like there was something missing. 'I think we need some lights to string around the place. Hopefully we have some somewhere.' I thought inside of my head. "I hope you were thinking of doing the same thing I was thinking of." Mr. Brühl's voice took me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him and he had two costumes in his hands. One was a black suit and the other was a red dress. "Oh my god. We really did have the same thing in mind." I replied with a smile.</p><p>I wanted to dress up the skeletons in a día de los muertose style. A beautiful big smile spread across his handsome face, which made my insides melt. It took us a little while to get the costumes on the skeletons, but it was worth it. The whole time Mr. Brühl talked about his Spanish mother and all of the wonderful things he missed in Spain. "Hey, why don't we make the dance día de los muertose themed? It'll be different and I'm sure the students will enjoy it." I said as we sat the skeletons up where we wanted them to stand. "You know... I really... liked spending time with you. Even if we were just dressing a couple of plastic skeletons." He said happily, which made me smile and laugh a little. "I liked spending time with you too." I said. A moment of comfortable silence passed between us before he asked what else we should get to decorate for the dance. We ended up making a list of what we needed to get to make the place really look good. My stomach suddenly growled, making me blush.</p><p>"Are you hungry?" Mr. Brühl asked with a cute smile. "Yeah, a little." I replied, feeling embarrassed. "So am I. What do you say we go down to the cafeteria and grab a bit to eat?" He said as he picked up the empty boxes. The idea of having lunch with him gave me a little bit of anxiety. 'Come on, Hailey. It's not a date. It's just two friends having lunch.' I said inside of my head. "Yeah, that sounds nice." I said with a small smile. We stopped by his office before going to bathrooms to wash our hands. Then we went to the cafeteria where we ordered something to eat and sat at one of the tables. "So... tell me a little about yourself." He said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled upon us as we ate. I told him some of the stuff I'm interested in and I talked about my family a bit. But I left out all of the sad stuff from my past. I don't know him well enough to open up like that to him, and I doubted that he wanted to hear any of it anyway. After we finished eating he suggested a walk through the campus gardens, and I accepted his offer.</p><p>Most of the flowers had went dormant for the fall, but a couple of them were still holding on. The sky was gray but there wasn't any threat of rain, although there was a cool breeze. "I loved your essay on Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven by the way. I'm so glad you appreciate poetry so much." He said as we eventually took a seat at one of the benches and took in the peacefulness of the gardens. The orange, yellow, and red leaves of the trees looked so beautiful. To my surprise he pulled out a book from his jacket pocket that looked more like a journal. "I know this is random, but I kind of wondered if you'd like the hear some of my own poetry." Mr. Brühl said with a shy look on his face. "It's okay if you don't want to." He added quickly. "No, I'd love to hear some of your poetry." I said with a small smile. His cheeks turned a little pink as he opened the pocket sized journal and started reading.</p><p>Hallows Eve</p><p>Jack o lanterns burning bright</p><p>The monsters are a fearful sight<br/>Children fill the streets<br/>Pulling tricks and collecting treats<br/>Witches fly across the sky<br/>Listen to the werewolves cry<br/>Vampires stalk the night<br/>You're in for a wonderful fright<br/>Black cats pounce and play<br/>Today is their special day<br/>Put on your costume before you leave<br/>On this spooky Hallows eve</p><p>The sound of his voice sounded so comforting... so gentle and soft. I could have listened to him read poetry all day long if I could. He recited a few more poems that he had written before checking the time on his watch. "I really wish we had more time together." He said. "What do you mean?" I asked him with furrowed brows. "I have a meeting I have to get to, but I'd rather just sit here with you." He said and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "Its okay. You'll see me in your class on Monday." I said even though I knew that wasn't what he meant. "I know, but I'd rather be here instead of in a classroom." He said and I agreed with him. I mentioned that we still had the rest of the event hall to decorate which seemed to make him happier. We walked back towards the college before we said our goodbyes. I really hoped I'd get the chance to listen to him read more, especially since the way he reads is so soothing to listen to. Before getting into my car I sent Vanessa and Brian text messages to meet up with me later at our favorite diner in town.</p><p>+++++++++++++++++++<br/>A/N: Thanks for reading!!</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. You Have My Attention</h2></a>
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    <p>Hailey's POV:</p><p>"I think we should wrap it up for now. It's almost time for our literature class." Mr. Brühl said. I checked the time on my phone and saw that he was right. He and I have been decorating the event hall for the Halloween dance during our free time. It was nice since the two of us have been getting to know each other a lot more. I think it was safe to say that we were becoming friends. But all of the extra time with him was making my crush on him grow; it kind of scared me a little. Especially since I knew that he and I wouldn't and couldn't be together. "Could you help me with these boxes?" He asked after shutting off the lights in the room. "Yeah, sure." I replied, pressing my depressing thoughts aside for the moment. I grabbed a couple boxes and followed him to the supply closet that was for the decorations. The lighting was kind of dim but you could see that the place was cluttered and unorganized. We managed to put the boxes away, but as we turned to leave I stupidly tripped over some Christmas decorations. I let out a little cry from help and braced myself for impact with the ground or something else.</p><p>I was surprised when I found myself held tightly to Mr. Brühl's chest. Both of his arms were wrapped around me; we were practically hugging. I breathed in his heavenly scent and had the urge to snuggle into him, but I restrained myself. "It's alright, I've got you." He said softly. We slowly moved apart and I desperately hoped he didn't notice that I was blushing. 'I probably look like a tomato.' I thought inside of my head. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you?" He asked me as he placed his hands on my shoulders. I looked up to see concern in his big brown eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you were here to catch me." I said with a shy little laugh. "I'm glad too." He said as relief filled his expression. We carefully left the supply closet and once we were in the hallway he closed and locked the door. "I should try and see if someone will organize it in there so someone doesn't end up hurting themselves." He said with a hit of worry in his voice. A moment of silence passed between us before he broke it. "We better get going or we'll be late." He said after checking his watch.</p><p>I went to the classroom while he went to his office to get his things. When I entered the room the lights were off, but I turned them on. To my surprise no one was there. I sat down at my usual seat and just waited. Mr. Brühl looked around with a confused look on his face as he went to his desk and turned on his computer. "I wonder where everyone is?" He said in a questioning tone. "I don't know. They couldn't have thought we were having class in the gardens; it's pouring down rain outside." I replied. After he looked as his emails and stuff he said that half of the class said they were sick. The other half were on the basketball team and had a game today. So that meant that Mr. Brühl and I were all alone. "Well... what would you like to do? I can let you go home or I could torture you by making you stay and talk to me as I grade papers." He said with a cute smile on his face. "I can stay under one condition." I said with a smile of my own. "Oh, no. What is it?" He asked in a tone that made me laugh slightly. "You have to read me some of your poems." I replied.</p><p>"I have to read you more of my poems?" He asked as his smile grew and his big brown eyes sparkled with delight and playfulness. "Yes." I said. "Why?" He asked with a curious look. "Because you wrote them and... I... I really like listening to your voice." I said shyly. 'Great, Hailey. Now you sound like those girls who were annoying him earlier this semester.' I thought, absolutely hating myself. He got up and grabbed a notebook from his desk. It wasn't the one he gave me before, it was different and I figured he had written some new poems in it. "Come here." He said as he sat down on the floor near the back of the classroom where no one could see him if they tried to look in any windows. I stood up and walked over to sit next to him. He opened the book and began to read. The sound of his deep voice and the way he said every word made me relax. Every poem seemed to be better than the last, but the last one was the most beautiful of them them all.</p><p>Love</p><p>It was just the start <br/>When you caressed my heart <br/>So gentle and sweet <br/>Love blossomed<br/>Quiet and discreet</p><p> </p><p>When I looked into your eyes<br/>My stomach filled with butterflies <br/>You lured me in with your voice <br/>You stole my heart <br/>I didn't have a choice</p><p> </p><p>My heart melted in a way I never thought was possible. I wondered who he wrote it about and if that person knew he felt that way about them. Deep down I kind of hoped it was about me but I knew it wasn't. Someone like him would never fall in love with someone like me. But his poem described exactly the way I feel about him and a little part of me just hoped that it was about me. There wasn't anything wrong with having just a little hope even if it seemed so unlikely. He closed his notebook and we made eye contact. "That was beautiful." I said in barley a whisper. "Thanks." He replied and I noticed that his cheeks turned a little pink from embarrassment. Beyond my better judgement I laid my head on his shoulder and was surprised when Mr. Brühl didn't pull away or tell me to move. "If anyone saw us like this people would start spreading rumors." He said as he gently brushed my hair with one of his hands. My insides melted. "True, but isn't that what almost everyone does?" I asked and he agreed with me.</p><p> </p><p>"I just don't want anyone out there bullying you, just because you have my attention." He said and my heart skipped a beat. "It's okay, Mr. Brühl. No one can see us here anyway." I said. "Please, call me Daniel when we're alone. We are friends after all." He said before kissing the top of my head. I was so soft I think I would have done anything he asked me to do in that moment. Hearing him say that we're friends made me so happy, yet sad at the same time. I was glad that we were more than just a teacher student relationship but I was sad because we wouldn't be anything else. 'Stop being so pathetic. At least he wants to be friends with you.' I said inside of my head. Deep down I knew I shouldn't feel sad but I also knew that it was okay to feel the way I was feeling. Especially since I have feelings for him. "Daniel, you're really sweet." I said as I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him. He held me close and kissed the top of my head again, making me melt. "You're sweet too Hailey." He said softly before resting his cheek on the side of my head. I felt so safe with him and hoped that he felt safe with me too.</p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++<br/>A/N: Thanks for reading!!</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Stay After Class</h2></a>
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    <p>Hailey's POV:</p><p>"Are you excited for tonight?" Brain asked me curiously. "Come on, you know she's excited. When has she never not been excited to see us in a play?" Vanessa said with an amused look on her face. "I'm just asking." He said. I confessed to being excited about seeing them in Sweeney Todd. I really hoped that a lot of people were going to show up, especially since it was open to the public. Plus the theater department gets most of its funds from selling tickets so they can have big productions and stuff. We had a little time before they needed to go to a last minute rehearsal anyway, so the three of us preoccupied ourselves with doing our homework. Eventually it was time for them to go, so I stayed in the study room to get a few more assignments finished. As soon as everything was done I packed my stuff into my backpack and took it out to my car. I didn't want to worry about where to put my backpack when the play started.</p><p>As I walked back into the building, I entered through a different doorway that was closer to some teacher offices. The first thing that caught my attention was a familiar voice as I made my way towards the theater department. I caught sight of Mr. Brühl and he was with another professor. I had seen her before, but I didn't know her name or the subject she taught. It wasn't difficult to notice how beautiful she was either. She had long wavy dark hair and pale blue eyes. And then I noticed they were flirting. The way Mr. Brühl smiled at her, looked at her, and laughed at her jokes just... hurt. It felt like someone ripped my heart out. My chest felt tighter and it started getting hard to breath. I quickly and quietly walked down the hallway, hoping neither of them would notice me. Tears filled my eyes and I tried my hardest to fight them back. But I ended up hiding in the nearest room I could find. Oddly enough I found myself in the dark supply closet that I nearly got hurt in a week ago.</p><p>The memory of Mr. Brühl catching me and holding me made everything worse. In my head I kept comparing myself to that woman. 'She's so much more beautiful than I am.' I thought inside of my head as I pulled my knees up to my chest. I let the tears fall down my face now that I was alone and no one could see me. I had a feeling that the two of them would probably end up dating and it would kill me to see him with her, but... there was nothing I could do. I couldn't try to stop them from starting a relationship. That would be so wrong on so many levels, and it isn't something I would do anyway. I couldn't tell him how I feel about him either; that would open a whole other can of worms. The only option I had was to stay quiet and wish him the best. My insides hurt worse and worse, making me cry harder and harder. But I never really made a sound. As I sit there in the darkness it felt like days... months... even years had passed.</p><p>My phone buzzed and I slowly reached into my pocket to retrieve it. That's when I noticed a couple of hours had passed and I could believe it due to how horrible I felt. There was a message from Brian and a message from Vanessa. 'I missed their performances.' I said inside of my head, and I felt like garbage. This was the first time I ever missed the premier of a play that my friends have been in. 'They're probably mad at me.' I thought before I opened their messages.</p><p>Vanessa: Hey, where are you? I thought you were going to wait on us when it was over.</p><p>Brain: Are you okay? Where are you?</p><p>I told them that I wasn't okay, but I let them know I wasn't physically hurt. We agreed to meet up outside by my car. I wiped my tears away and slowly got up from my sitting position. My muscles were stiff from staying like that for so long, so it took me a while to actually move normally. I stopped my a bathroom to make sure I didn't look like hell. Once I blew my nose and made myself look somewhat okay, I headed out to my car. Brian and Vanessa were already there waiting on me. Each of them gave me a hug when they saw me. "What's wrong?" Vanessa asked me with concern in her eyes. "It's stupid." I replied with a fake little laugh. "Come on, Hailey. You can tell us anything." Brian said with a look of sympathy on his face. I told them that I had seen Mr. Brühl flirting with one of the other professors, and I described her to them. "I think I know who you're talking about. I've seen the two of them having lunch together sometime." Vanessa said awkwardly.</p><p>"I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine the pain you're probably feeling." She said after a few moments of silence. Both of my friends gave me a hug, which I greatly appreciated. If they weren't here I'm not sure what I'd be doing right now. 'You'd probably still be in that supply closet crying.' I thought inside of my head. After we broke the hug Brain offered to drive me home since I was distressed. In return I offered them to spend the night. The pain I was feeling had dulled a little, but I still couldn't get the image of Mr. Brühl with that woman out of my mind. 'Just let him go. He'd never feel the same way about you anyway.' I said inside of my head as I climbed into bed. It took me a while to fall asleep, mostly because I couldn't stop myself from crying.</p><p>After that night a few days had passed. I still wasn't a hundred percent, but I couldn't just put my life on hold. I had classes to go to and homework as well as projects to get finished. I managed to watch the play also; Brian and Vanessa were both amazing as usual. The only major change in my routine is that I tried my best to avoid Mr. Brühl the best I could. Every time I saw him my heart ached. I could barely even look at him without feeling depressed, and it made me feel pathetic. Anxiety filled my stomach when I got to my stage craft class. 'At least Brain is in this class with you.' I thought inside of my head as I walked into the classroom. We were in the beginning stages of out next project, so that meant we wouldn't be on the stage. Especially since everything was set up for the play; we really couldn't do anything on the stage even if we wanted to. I sat down in my usual seat a few minutes before Brian came in and sat next to me. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked me. Ever since the other night my friends have been super supportive and wonderful. I've been thanking them every chance I can get as well.</p><p>They've been the only friends I've ever had that actually care about me, so I just wanted to let them know how much I appreciate them. "I'm alright I guess." I replied. After a while more students started filling their seats. Mr. Brühl was the last to arrive, which wasn't normal for him. Usually he's always here before it's time for class to start. 'He probably lost track of time talking to his girlfriend.' I thought, and I felt horrible for thinking that. He could have been busy grading papers and whatnot. Everyone was already working on our projects, so he really didn't have to give us any instruction. I kept my eyes glued to my notebook just to avoid looking at him. The only time I did look up was when Brain talked to me or when I asked him questions. "Brain, great performance in Sweeney Todd. I went and saw it opening night and I was completely blown away; you're a very talented actor." Mr. Brühl's voice said quite close to us. Just hearing him speak and knowing he was close made me nervous. 'Just go away so I can breath.' I thought.</p><p>"Thanks." Brain said and I could hear the smile in his voice. And then I could feel Mr. Brühl's eyes on me, but I didn't dare to look up. Seeing his doe eyes looking at me would have killed me. The class seemed to drag on and on, but eventually it ended to my relief. "Um, Hailey if you don't mind I'd like to speak with you for a second." Mr. Brühl said, making me freeze temporarily. "Okay." I replied without looking at him. My focus was on packing my things into my backpack. "I'll see you later." Brain said and I nodded. After everyone had left Mr. Brühl walked over to me. I took a deep breath before looking at him for the first time and it felt like I was dying inside. "I couldn't help but notice that there had been change between us. It's clear that you've been trying to avoid me around campus... and... during class you barely even look at me." He said and the burning sensation in my stomach felt like it was going to eat me alive. "Have I done something wrong? Because if I did I'm so sorry. I know this sounds childish, but... I really want us to be friends again. I miss you."</p><p>The pleading look in his big brown eyes made my insides melt. Without thinking I wrapped my arms around his torso and snuggled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held me so close to his warm body. I breathed in his heavenly scent and wished I could have stayed in his arms forever. I felt so safe. "You didn't do anything wrong, Daniel. I just... I haven't been feeling the best... mentally." I mumbled and he tightened his arms around me slightly. "You could have told me. I know we aren't as close as you, Brian, and Vanessa, but... I'll never ever judge you." He said sweetly as he rubbed my back. We stayed like that for a while before we broke the hug. That's when I noticed he was wearing a white buttoned shirt and a green jacket with black pants. "I'm sorry I've been so distant. I didn't mean to hurt you." I said shyly. I really felt like a bad person. I never meant for him to think that he did something wrong.</p><p>"It's okay. Mental health is something you can't control, and I'm not holding that against you." He said as he hugged me again. This time he left a soft kiss on my forehead when we pulled apart. I blushed and one of his cute smiles spread across his handsome face. I really wanted to tell him how I feel, but I knew I couldn't. I didn't want to ruin the friendship we just mended. A friendship that so unintentionally almost ended. My heart still hurt, but I knew it wasn't right for me to avoid him like I had been doing. I just hoped he knew that I really do care about him. "I should have just told you I wasn't feeling okay instead of staying quiet." I said. "It's okay. Besides, I wasn't going to let you get away so easily." He said with a look in his eyes that made me melt again. I stood on tiptoe and left a very shy kiss on his cheek. I blushed and looked at the floor to try and hide it. "You're so cute." He said and my heart skipped a little. Having him call me cute gave me a little hope that maybe he might at least develop a tiny crush on me. But I wasn't going to hold my breath.</p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++<br/>A/N: Thanks for reading!!</p>
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